Oiling-indicator.



G. F. FOWLER.

' OILING INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 24.1916- Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

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.GQRDON. r. FOWLER, or OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T snags, no'EBUoK a COMPANY, or CHICAGO, rumors, A CORPORATION on NEW YORK;

OILING-INDICATOR.

To allwhom it may concern: r

Be it known that I, GORDON F. FOWLER, a, citizen of the-United States, residing at Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oiling-Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to indicators for oiland has for itsobject, the provision of simple and eflicient means for in-, dicating the operation of'oiling systems for machines, such as, centrifugal. separating machines, and the like. Otherobjects will appear hereinafter.

An embodiment of my invention is shown. in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which,'

Figure 1, 1s azside elevation of a portion 7 of a centrifugal separator embodying my'in 20 ventionand having portions cut away to expose underlying parts. vation' of a plate used to close a, portion of the casing; and, Fig. 8, is an enlarged fragmental view of a glazed window used in the construction.

In a number of kinds of machines, there are casings'which inclose .moving parts re-' quiring lubrication. In many of such machines, oil is carried in thebottom of the casing and a rotating wheel, or its equivalent, is mounted in the casing in such a mark ner as to have its lower edge portion running the oil. This wheel picks up oil and by means of centrifugal force, throws the oil over the interior ofthe casing. The oil in being thrown over the interior of the casing, comes in contact with the parts requiringlubrication. In such machines, it is often diflicult to determine, whether the oil isreaching the bearings and other parts requiring oil in the proper manner, or whether there is foreign matter in the oil; My invention relates to means for indicating w hether or not the oil is of proper quality and is being properly distributed in the casing. 7 I Referring more particularly to the drawing,I- have shown myinvention as applied to a centrifugal separator, such as isfused in separating milkand cream. 'Such' a machine, is ordinarily provided with a casing inclosin working parts of the machine.

Thec'aslng 5, is provided with an elongated opening 6, in one of its vertical sides, through which access is ga ned, to the inte Fig. 2, is a side ele- Patented Apr. 11, 1916;

' Application filedJanuary 2 4, 1916. Serial N 0. 73,829.

rior of the casing. The opening 6, is closed by means of a plate 7, secured to the casing by screws 8. 'At the upper end of plate 7, is an arm 9, adapted to support a container 10, which holds the liquid to be separated.

In the bottom of the casing 5, is a quantity or pool of oil v11. At the bottom of the cas1n g, 1s provided a valve 12, for draining the o11-11, from theoas'ing when'so desired.

From a portion ofthe Valve 12, isa pipe 7 13,'wh1ch extends upwardly, ending in a curved portion- 14:, at the desired height of the oillevel 1n the casing. The pipe 13,.h'as

its upperend in open: communication with the atmosphere, and its lower end in open communication through a part of valve 12,.

with the oil 11, so that ifoilis fed to the bottom of thecasingin excess to aquantity substantially as indicated, the excess amount I of oil'will run over through pipe 13, thereby limiting the height of the oil in the casing."

In a convenient position, in plate7, is fitted j a plug 15. The plug is shownas being screw threaded in. a portion of the plate. 7, but,

7 any other suitable connection may be made, when so desired'between the plug andplatei 7, Oil .or other lubricant is inserted in the casing 5, through the opening in which the.

plug isfitted, when the latter is removed from sald opening.

-lhe movement of parts of the machine inthe casing has a tendencyjto cause aIpre's-.

sure in the casing abovev normal atmos,

phericpressure, and thise'xtra pressure in the casing would tend to drive .theqoil 11, out through pipe.13-. In order to prevent this, 'vent openings 16, are provided in the plate adjacent the upper portion of the. casing 5, which provide an open communication between the outside atmosphere and the interior of the casing. I

A separating machine, such as'indicated,

isusually provided with a wheel 17, which has its loweredge extendinginto the oil 11.

The wheel 17, isfiXed on a 'shaft18,'which is j ournaled in bearings 19, in'casing 5, "only one of said bearings 19, being shown. The

shaft 18, is connected to a shaft20, by suitable gearing, not shown, to rotate therewith. The shaft 20, is journa'led in bearings 21, in.

the upper portion of the casing, and provided with a vdrivingmeans, such as a. manually operable crank22,to impart motion to.

the machine. In the operation of the machine, the wheel 17, is adapted to rotate in the direction of the arrow 23, Fig. l. The

oil l1, adheres to the lower portion of the wheel and is carried upwardly until centrifugal force, caused by rotation of-the wheel, throws the oil against theinterior of the casing. When the oil is thrown against the interior of the casing, it comes in contact with the parts requiring lubrication, and such parts of the oil which are not used, run over the inner sides of the casing back to the pool 11, at the bottom of the-basing.

The plate'7, is provided with a recess 24, which provides an unobstructed path for oil to be discharged from the wheel against the filling cap 15. V

hollow with a transparent window fitted in The filling cap 15, is formed its upper end. With this construction, the oil which is discharged against plug l5,'engages window 25,'and indicates that the 011 is being thrown over the interiorof the casing 5, by wheel 17. By providing a window 25, where the oil is continuously thrown against it during the operation of the ma chine the qualityojf oil can be determined by simplyilooking at the window 25. It can also be determined whether or not the proper amount of oil is being distributed over the interior of'the casing; Nhere the oil is being oontlnuously thrown against the glass, the latter is kept clean on its inner side, so that the quantityand quality being distributed in thecasing, can be determined at any time by simply looking at the win dow. In cream and milk separating ma chines, it often happens that some of these materials get into the casing 5, and are churned up with the oil. As the wheel 17 rotates, the mixture of oil and foreign matter is picked up thereby and by centrifugal force thrown against the window 25, showing the quality ofthe mixture. It also happens'in cold weather that the oil becomes 7 quite thick and will not properly adhere to r the wheel 17. In such a case, theoil will contain liquid and having a side aperture therein above the l1qu1d level of the casing;

a wheel journaled' in the casing, the lower portion of the wheel being adapted to engage liquid in the casing; and means connected with the wheel for rotating the latter to cause said wheel to pick up liquid and discharge the same by centrifugal force into said view aperture.

2, In combination, a casing adapted to contain liquid; a wheel journaled in the casing, the lower portion of the wheel being adapted to run in liquid in the casing; a glazed window in the casing; and means for rotating 7 the wheel causing the latter to pickup liquid and discharge 'portions'of such liquid against the glazed window by centrifugal force.

3. In combination, a casing adapted to contain liquid; means for controlling the height of liquid in the casing; a glazed window in the casing above the liquid level of said casing; a wheel journaled in the casing and having its lower portion extending be with its loweri'edge extending below the liquid level of the casing; a plate secured to the caslng and closing said opening, the

plate having a recessfadjacent the wheel; a

glazed window in the recess, the wheel upon rotation being adapted to pick up liquid from the casing and throw parts of said l1qu1d through said recess against said window. V

5. In combination, a centrifugal separator casing adapted to hold a quantity of oil in its lower portion, one of the vertical sides of the casing having an opening therein above the oil level of said casing; a wheel journaled in the casing and having its lower portion adaptedto extend into oil in said casing; a plate covering the opening in the casing; a glazed window in the plate adjacent the wheel, there being a recess in the plate providing a pathfor oil passing from the wheel'to the window when the wheel is being rotated. 7

6. In combination, a centrifugal separator casing; a glazed window in said casing; and a wheel journaled in the casing adjacent said window and adapted when rotating, to pick up. oil from the casing and discharge parts of such oil against said glazed window.

7 In combination, a centrifugal separator TWO casin havin 'a fillin oaenin therein a b D b 7 filling plug removably securedin the filling opening,the plug being provided with an openingtherethrough; and a transparent window closing the outer end of the opening in the plug.

8. In combination, a centrifugal separator casing having a filling opening therein; a filling plug threaded in the filling opening, the plug having an opening extending therethrough; a transparent window closing two subscribing witnesses, on this 20thday the outer end if the plug; and rgeans in the of January, A. D. 1916. casin adapte to distribute a 111 ricant over 1 the ii iterior of the casing and. against said GORDON 5 window. 7 Witnesses:

In testimony whereof I have signed my THOMAS C0Ls0N, name to this specification, in the presence of A. J. CRANE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. Q. 

